Websites'for'Finding'Nonfiction'Mentor'Texts'

Compiled'randomly'by'Janis'Jones''
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http://www.twurdy.com/!!
Search'engine'that'provides'results'by'readability'levels'
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http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/!!
I.N.K.:'Interesting'Nonfiction'for'Kids'
Here'we'will'meet'the'writers'whose'words'are'presenting'nonfiction'in'a'whole'new'way.'Discover'books'
that'show'how'nonfiction'writers'are'some'of'the'best'storytellers'around.'Learn'how'these'writers'
practice'their'craft:'research'techniques,'fact'gathering'and'detective'work.'Check'out'how'they'find'
unusual'tidbits,'make'the'facts'interesting'and'write'something'kids'will'love'to'read.'Explore'how'photos'
and'illustrations'are'integrated'with'the'text'to'explain'an'artist's'vision'of'the'world.'Consider'what'
subjects'are'flooding'the'market'and'what'still'needs'a'voice.'Rethink'nonfiction'for'kids.'
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http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior!
Wikijunior'The'aim'of'this'project'is'to'produce'ageKappropriate'nonKfiction'books'for'children'from'birth'
to'age'12.'
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http://21stcenturylit.org/!
We'believe'that'journalistic'writing'styles'offer'students'the'most'effective'way'to'learn'to'write.'The'
journalistic'writing'styles'that'we'are'focusing'on'in'21st'Century'Literature'modules'include'features,'
news,'opinion'and'reviews.'These'are'writing'styles'that'people'want'to'read'unlike'five'paragraph'essays.'
Feature'writing'can'focus'on'people'or'it'can'focus'on'issues,'buildings,'trends,'foods,'almost'anything'
students'might'be'interested'in.'News'writing'teaches'students'to'think'critically.'They'have'to'pick'the'
most'important'facts'and'put'them'first.'They'learn'tight'writing'and'good'sentence'structure.'
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http://www.teenink.com/!
An'online'literary'magazine'for'teens'
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http://www.dogonews.com/!
A'quality'news'site'for'kids'
Coming'Soon'K'Sneakers'That'Sprout'Into'Wildflowers!'
By'Meera'Dolasia'on'02/25/2011'
Though'we'can'stop'buying'many'things'that'add'to'our'landfills,'sneakers'are'a'necessity'that'cannot'be'
avoided.'While'there'have'been'a'few'attempts'to'make'partially'compostable'shoes,'a'majority'of'
sneakers'end'up'in'trash,'where'they'sit'for'many'years'before'they'decompose,'if'ever!''
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http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/!
Putting'Personality'on'Paper:'Writing'About'People'Using'Times'Models!
By'ANNISSA'HAMBOUZ'and'HOLLY'EPSTEIN'OJALVO'
Overview'|'How'does'a'writer'get'beyond'basic'facts'and'events'to'write'about'people'in'a'captivating'yet'
concise'way?'What'elements'and'details'make'for'an'interesting'profile?'This'lesson'offers'some'examples'
of'ways'you'can'use'The'New'York'Times'as'a'model'for'writing'about'people.'
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http://tweentribune.com/frontpage!'also'Teen'Tribune!
SunChips'Bags'too'Loud'FritoKLay'hopes'to'solve'a'problem'with'a'quieter'version'of'its'biodegradable'
SunChips'bag.'The'company'introduced'a'biodegradable'bag'for'the'snacks'in'April'of'2009'with'a'big'
marketing'effort'to'play'up'its'environmentally'friendly'nature'as'it'was'made'from'plants'and'not'plastic'
and'...'!"Posted"on"February"11'
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http://www.awesomestories.com/!
AwesomeStories'is'about'primary'sources.'The'stories'exist'as'a'way'to'place'original'materials'in'context'
and'to'hold'those'links'together'in'an'interesting,'cohesive'way'(thereby'encouraging'people'to'look'at'
them).'It'is'a'totally'different'kind'of'web'site'in'that'its'purpose'is'to'place'primary'sources'at'the'
forefront'K'not'the'opinions'of'a'writer.'Its'objective'is'to'take'the'site's'users'to'places'where'those'
primary'sources'are'located.''
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http://www.instructables.com/'
How'to'instructions'for'just'about'everything'
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http://storycorps.org/!
The'heart'of'StoryCorps'is'the'conversation'between'two'people'who'are'important'to'each'other:'a'son'
asking'his'mother'about'her'childhood,'an'immigrant'telling'his'friend'about'coming'to'America,'or'a'
couple'reminiscing'on'their'50th'wedding'anniversary.'By'helping'people'to'connect,'and'to'talk'about'the'
questions'that'matter,'the'StoryCorps'experience'is'powerful'and'sometimes'even'lifeKchanging.'
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http://www.history.com/this>day>in>history!
This'Day'in'History'
On'February'25,'1964,'22KyearKold'Cassius'Clay'shocks'the'oddsKmakers'by'dethroning'world'heavyweight'
boxing'champ'Sonny'Liston'in'a'seventhKround'technical'knockout.'The'dreaded'Liston,'who'had'twice'
demolished'former'champ'Floyd'Patterson'in'one'round,'was'an'8KtoK1'favorite.'
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http://wonderopolis.org/!
About'Wonder'of'the'Day'
Learning'is'happening'everywhere,'all'the'time!'We'have'bottled'a'little'bit'of'that'learning'in'each'
Wonder'of'the'Day'learn'something'new,'try'out'an'idea,'create'a'masterpiece,'imagine'possibilities.'Its'
easy.'Its'fun.'But'the'learning'is'big!'
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http://en.childrenslibrary.org/!
The'ICDL'Foundation's'goal'is'to'build'a'collection'of'books'that'represents'outstanding'historical'and'
contemporary'books'from'throughout'the'world.''Ultimately,'the'Foundation'aspires'to'have'every'culture'
and'language'represented'so'that'every'child'can'know'and'appreciate'the'riches'of'children's'literature'
from'the'world'community.'
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http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/!
Animal'features'and'facts'
SlothsKIt's'a'good'thing'sloths'don't'have'to'go'to'school.'They'd'never'make'it'on'time.'These'drowsy'treeK
dwellers'sleep'up'to'20'hours'a'day!'And'even'when'they'are'awake,'they'barely'move'at'all.'In'fact,'
they're'so'incredibly'sluggish,'algae'actually'grows'on'their'fur.'
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http://www.biography.com/bio4kids/bio4kids>meet.jsp!
Biographies'for'Kids'
Amelia'EarhartKKAmelia'Earhart'wasn't'the'first'female'pilot,'but'she'became'one'of'the'famous'women'to'
take'to'the'air.'She'had'no'idea'when'she'was'growing'up'in'a'small'town'in'Kansas'that'people'around'the'
world'would'be'fascinated'by'her'adventures.'Born'on'July'24,'1897,'Earhart'saw'her'first'plane'at'a'state'
fair'when'she'was'ten'years'old.'She'didn't'think'it'was'anything'special.''
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http://kids.discovery.com/tell>me!
Interesting'facts'on'unusual'topics'for'kids'
Avoiding'SunburnKSlip,'slop'and'slap'are'the'three'S's'that'every'sunKlovin''camper'should'know.'
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http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/!
Information'and'resources'on'science'topics'of'interest'to'young'people,'categorized'by'topic.'
Secrets'of'the'Worlds'Extreme'DiversSNear'the'edge'of'Antarctica'live'some'of'the'worlds'best'divers.'
They'are'black'and'white'and'zip'through'the'ocean'like'bullets.''
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http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/!
Current'events,'timelines,'book'reviews,'links'to'primary'source'documents'and'more'
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http://www.smithsonian.kids.us/president/index.htm!
Profiles'of'Our'Nations'Leaders'
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/!
Biographies'of'Our'Presidents'
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http://www.sikids.com/news!
Sports'Illustrated'for'Kids'
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- For flamboyant tight end Jeremy Shockey, the party is over -- at least in
New Orleans.'
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http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/studentnews/02/22/transcript.wed/index.html!
Video'news'with'printed'transcripts'
CARL'AZUZ,'CNN'STUDENT'NEWS'ANCHOR:'It'is'Wednesday,'February'23rd,'and'we'have'a'lot'of'
international'stories'to'tell'you'about'today'on'CNN'Student'News.'My'name'is'Carl'Azuz.'We're'starting'
off'in'New'Zealand.'First'Up:'Earthquake'in'New'Zealand'AZUZ:'The'earthquake'that'jolted'the'South'
Pacific'country'yesterday'left'one'of'its'biggest'cities'in'ruins.'Christchurch,'located'on'New'Zealand's'east'
coast,'was'badly'shaken'during'lunch'hour.'
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http://www.spaghettibookclub.com/index.shtml!
Book'reviews'by'kids'for'kids'
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http://www.raisingreadersandwriters.com/?p=31!!!
A'literacy'blog!!
My first graders are writing Wow! nonfiction books. Katie Wood Ray describes this genre as one that will
make your reader say, Wow! when he reads your information. Earlier, we immersed ourselves in
reading lots of nonfiction and learned about nonfiction conventions and how they help convey information
to our readers. We did small inquiry projects where students researched one question and made posters
that used several different nonfiction conventions. !